P Visa for Athletes & Artists

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P Visa for Athletes & Artists

The P visa allows entertainers and artists to temporarily enter the United States for competition, practice, or performance. In addition to being granted to artists and entertainers, the P visa can also be granted to the spouse of the visa holder and all children under the age of 21. The P visa exists in four categories.

P-1 – The P-1 visa is given to an individual or a team that are internationally recognized for their athletic ability.

P-2 – The P-2 visa is given to artists or entertainers who are planning on performing under a reciprocal exchange program.

P-3 – The P-3 visa is given to artists or entertainers who are planning on performing under a program that is culturally unique.

P-4 – The P-4 visa is given to the spouse, or child under the age of 21 of a P-1, P-2, or P-3 visa holder.

In order to be granted a P-1 visa as an athlete, the individual or team in question must prove that they are internationally recognized. To do so, the individual or team must have a degree of skill substantially above that is normally encountered, or be held to high acclaim in more than one country. In order to be granted a P-1 visa as an entertainer, the individual must be part of an entertainment group. 75% of the members of the group must have been members of the group for over one year. In addition to this, the group must prove they have international recognition through documentation of a major one time achievement by the group OR the group must show evidence of at least 3 of the following criteria.

Has or will performed as the leading role in a production or event with distinguished reputation

The individual already has acclaim for their achievements

Has a record of commercial success in the industry

Is recognized by a majority of critics, organizations, and governments

Has been paid or will be paid a high salary for their talent

The P-1 visa costs $325 processing fee and it takes about 6-7 months to be granted. However, premium processing is available for P-1 and petition can be adjudicated within 15 business days. The P-1 visa is currently capped at 25,000 visas per year.

ilexLaw, located at 2101 L St., NW, Washington D.C., focuses on immigration law. The attorney’s and legal assistants are trained to assist those attempting to gain entry into the United States. For question on immigration law, the P-1 visa, or other work visas, feel free to contact us at 202.367.9138 or email www.info@ilexlaw.com.